Wichita eagle., 1887-05-25
THE SALVATION ARMY.
WICHITA, Kan, May %, 1ee

religious views as you are III your poltiCai
opinion. we ask space in your paper to give
expression to a few thoughts concerning
the Salvation Army. Several of the pa
pers of the city, except the EAGLE, have
seen fit to hold this organization up to pub
lie scorn and its members to public vio-
lence. We have no part or lot with these
people and never saw any of them until
we came to this city. Curiosity took US to
their hall, just as it takes thousand OF 9th
ers. We have watched them closely, became
acuuain ted with the leaders and some OF
the members and from our observation ana
acquaintance we come to this conclusion
that they are an honest, earnest, Jealous
set of religious workers who believe they
are complying with the command OF their
Master to 20 into the highways and by
ways and use any and all means that
prayer hearing and prayer answering God
will bless to compel the common people to
come in and partake of the wedding feast.
We, therefore, conclude that they have the
God given right to run their gospelshop in
their own way without let or hindrance
from any one so long as they do not offend
against the law, literally construed, or
violate the provision given them
in their charter. These people have been
severely spoken of in three of the papers
of our city in manner not very becoming
to good moral newspapers. One accuses
them of free-loveism. We presume the
man without fault cast this first stone, and
hence his Immaculate virtue puts him
above criticism, and Caesars wife is far
less chaste than the accuser. Another good
brother objects because they parade the
streets with cornets tamborines and songs
and stop to pray by the way. John Wesley
and his followers marched through the
streets of the cities of England singing
hymns and were treated to egg-knocks,
putrid vegetables, clubs and stones but they
established the most powerful and aggres-
sive religious organization OF mod
ern times just the same and
succeeded in planting the banner OF holi-
ness upon the outer wall Of more than one
SIM cursed city.
The history of the Catholic church is
history of the introduction of the cross OF
Christ into every land and nation by every
and all means that would accomplish the
work most effectively. If this means was
by shot and shell there was no hesitation
about using them. If the still, small voice
Of diplomacy would accomplish the same
results, with what avidity the priesthood
took it up. If it was necessary to take up
the musical pipe, the kettle drum and the
gaudily colored flag to attract the poor and
outcast to the cross of Christ, the church
has not stopped to enquire whether 1t was
aesthetic or not, but has depended upon her
success to justify the means employ.
One writer says that this hip-hurrah string
band musical street procession business
forms no part or parcel of genuine religion
In the last psalm the sweet singer OF lsrae
tells us to praise Cod with the sound Of
the trumpet, praise Him with the psaitsry
and harp, praise Him with the timbrel
and dance, praise Him with stringed in
struments and organs. Let everything
that hath breath, praise the Lord Now il
this does not include comets, tamborlnes
drums and whole brass bands, we dom
know what David meant when be wrote 1t
Such cuttingup may not attract the ricf
Methodist, the staid Presbyterian, or tn
persevering Baptist, but it doe
attract the commoIli peopl'
and the rabble and they follow
the music to the Cross of Christ, and in tn
simplicity of childhood lay their sap.sicE
souls in humble submission to the Will o
God at the eject of the Crucifed ehs, ant
, then find genuine religion. TAs write
7 further saws while Christ went out upol
4 the highways, ETC., yet His disciples neve'
followed Him with tamborines, Amer.esl
5 flags and bowling multitude, In
critic don't know whether they had tam
!. bofines or not. There were no America
l flags to be had in that day, but as for tn
g bowling multitude the record leaves n
e room to doubt. They kept on howilni
- too. until they caused the object OF the
y hatred to be crucifed between two thleve
n Just as between the police officers an
8 a lot of drunken loafers, the leaders OF u
" Salvation Army get into prison. Now IL
same writer thinks these Salvationlsts a
fanatics, and that if they would do dife
emily "they would not disgrace themseiv
,S and their good cause by conflicting WI
- the laws of the land" There is no eviden
Is that the Salvation Army has done anythli
= in conflict with the laws of the land. Ihe
~ . object is to teach mankind better way
D live and to lead them out of lawlessness
a an obedience to the law from love OF I
" law and not fear of it. There is class
oe money getters that have existed in all ag
st with whose business any reform alwa
ge interferes. They got after ia
Us and Silas in the streets of Ephesus on
er @ and made a great tumult about them, j
in like they do now over the Salvation Arm
er We read that very quiet citizen OF Jud
once upon a time was walking by the lal
~ -, side when a lot of these fellows saw n
he and began to cry out against him,
70. when he spoke to them they became so